by Elizabeth Becker

My name is Kris Kampf. I’ve been a full-time counselor at Gray Wolf Ranch for the past two years. Working here has been a dream come true for me. I remember interviewing with Peter and David on the weekend of Port Townsend’s Wooden Boat Festival and being immediately taken in by the town and the friendliness of the community. I knew that Gray Wolf had an unbelievably successful program in addiction recovery, and I was particularly interested in working with 15 to 24-year-olds, the age group at Gray Wolf . There is a very hopeful aspect to working with these younger guys and seeing many of them going on to be really successful at college, careers, and relationships. Catching them before they’ve spent ten or fifteen years in a “using” lifestyle makes a big difference. And I saw this as a great opportunity for me to catch on to Peter’s dream.

When Peter called to offer me the job, I accepted without hesitation. I was thrilled to be returning to Washington, where I was born and where I had attended college. I received my four-year degree in Liberal Arts from Evergreen State College, then went on to earn a 15-month certification in Chemical Dependency and Family Treatment from St. Mary’s College in St. Paul, MN. I completed two internships, one at Hazelden in Center City, Center City, MN, and one at St. Mary’s. Before coming to Gray Wolf, I worked at St. Mary’s and at Fellowship Club (a Hazelden Halfway House.)

The trek program at Gray Wolf also attracted me. I came here with no trek experience, but the concept just made sense to me. This area is absolutely beautiful and can’t help but inspire anyone who ventures out into the mountains or onto the water. In traditional primary treatment centers, much of the treatment consists of reading pamphlets and writing assignments. But how does one actually live out the recovery process? There is so much raw intellectual power in these young men. Many of them can sail through a normal treatment program and be able to reiterate the theories they’ve read about, but when faced with real-life situations, they don’t have the tools they need to handle them. On our treks, we strip away all of the conventions of our day-to-day lives. No TV, no headphones, no magazines, no diversions. Concepts like teamwork, the need to ask for help, seeing our limitations, relying on others--these become very real. They stop being intellectual concepts. You learn how to solve problems, whether related to the terrain, the weather, or interpersonal situations. You get the chance to experience challenges in unfamiliar settings, yet with the safety net of counselors and guides.

The treks are also playful. We joke with each other, swim in ice-cold streams, wake up to three feet of freshly fallen snow, slide down hillsides, carve out snow caves, and throw snowballs at each other. We experience the joy of being in a spectacular setting with people who know and care about each other. We experience fatigue, pain, and tiredness. We experience awe at the physical environment and the spirituality of being in such breathtakingly beautiful surroundings. Many of our residents have never had the chance to do these things, so the changes they experience can be particularly dramatic. Facing the physical and mental challenges provides an opportunity for growth that doesn’t easily occur in our daily lives. Having fun together has proven to be a valuable but often underestimated tool for recovery.

We also make sure that the treks are educational. On each trip, we have at least one GWR staff person (a counselor or tech) and one guide from the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). The NOLS folks bring their knowledge of the outdoor environment--terrain, weather, navigation--and their knowledge of safety in the outdoors--how to stay warm, how to pack efficiently, how to treat an injury, how to deal with unexpected situations. On our boating treks, we learn about currents, tides, and wind. On our mountain treks, we learn about trees, plants, animals, and geology.

In the evenings, we usually have a discussion session led by one of the counselors. Sometimes we’ll have a theme, such as honesty. We also try to provide some solo time on each trip, where the guys have a few hours by themselves for thinking, writing in journals, or exploring.

An important part of the Gray Wolf program is learning how to deal with boredom without turning to drugs. The question of ȁWhat do I do with my time?” is one that these guys need to learn how to answer. Another big thing is how to deal with living with seventeen other guys in one house. How to get along, how to cope with new situations and emotions, how to be part of this family here. We’ve started taking the guys on a couple of trips each year--to eastern Washington in the summer and to Mt. Baker in the winter. This is not a trek, but more like a family vacation. For three or four days we just “hang out,” staying in tents or cabins, fishing or canoeing, skiing or hiking. We eat out in restaurants or cook together, doing the kind of stuff that most people take for granted but may be foreign to these kids.

I see the main tenet of the twelve-step program as the ability to connect with yourself and others. I enjoy keeping in touch with many of our alumni, hearing of both their challenges and their successes. Someone once taught me that you approach recovery like an onion peel. You keep taking off layers until you get to what works. You learn from your mistakes along the way, and end up with wisdom. We all continue to grow throughout our lives. Being a part of the Gray Wolf family is an incredible part of that journey.